Who We Are
by TheBrokenGirl
Summary: Max Ride is a tall and stunning bartender from Ohio. But one night her life is suddenly turned around when she meets Fang Nikolias. In time, Max begins to develop feelings for the mysterious man, but she doesn't yet know he's hiding a terrible secret from her, one that could possibly end her life. [LANGUAGE] FAX
1. Chapter 1

_Max Ride is a tall and stunning bartender from Ohio. But one night her life is suddenly turned around when she meets Fang Nikolias. In time, Max begins to develop feelings for the mysterious man but she doesn't yet know he's hiding a terrible secret from her, one that could possible end her life_

* * *

It was almost twelve. I watched myself in the mirror as my hair was curled around my head. The soft layers swept across my highlighted cheeks; the blonde streaks in them brightening my chestnut brown eyes. I blinked, watching the young woman in the mirror do the same. Tonight was a night out at the club; to relax, to have fun. It was a much better idea to go to a different club instead of the one I bartended and sung at; so that no one would recognize me. I try to keep a low profile so not many people recognize me, so it'd nice to go out and have an incognito night.

Tonight was my nineteenth birthday. Yes, the big one-nine. Nudge, my mocha colored supermodel best friend, insisted that we leave the apartment and go celebrate at the club. Nudge and I normally worked at the Ivy Nightclub, tonight we were heading to MOON which is a club that's open from nine to five so all the late night clubbers could go there. I coughed as Nudge spritzed hairspray over her masterpiece. She grabbed a mirror and showed me the back of my head where the long curls trailed delicately down my back.

"Nudge, that looks amazing," I exclaimed, reaching out to touch the curls.

She slapped my hand away, "Max, no touching." I grinned at her and moved my hands before getting out of the chair we had placed in the bathroom. I double checked my makeup, making sure that my smoky eyes weren't smudged and my lipstick was correct. I could never pull off this look without the help of Nudge's expertise. I checked over Nudge, taking in her brown flared eye shadow and her long dark lashes.

"Nudge, you look great."

She grinned, "I know I look great Max, I'm a master of makeup." I agreed and headed to my bedroom, grabbing a pair of black stilettos and slipping them on. I tugged on the hem of the dress in another failed attempt to cover my legs.

"Nudge," I whined, "Why do you make me wear ridiculous dresses." She walked into my room and tugged the dress up so it was above mid-thigh level.

"Because these dresses look good on you, be thankful I'm not making you wear another bodycon dress." I shivered as I remembers last week's horrific events when Nudge showed up with a skin tight dress in hand. From then on I'd told her she'd have to consult with me if she wanted to get tight dresses for me. "Anyway, are you ready to go? We're going to miss out on all the fun." I nodded and we both headed out with our clutches in hand.

"How are we getting there?" I asked her; the street in our neighborhood was quiet. As I asked that a taxi appeared out of nowhere, pulling up beside us. "Oh," was all I could mutter stupidly. The drive there was quiet –apart from the Nudge channel raving on next to me- and we were there in a matter of minutes.

We could hear the music pumping from the inside and we took in the long line of people waiting at the door. Nudge quickly turned to me and pulled up the hem of my dress even more making me yelp in surprise. The bouncer at the door turned around to the sound and raised an eyebrow at both of us. I smiled at him apologetically; a smile that quickly turned into a victory grin as he waved both of us over. We walked into the crowded club, gently pushing past the jumping people. Friday nights (Saturday mornings?) were always busy. Nudge and I quickly found ourselves seats and ordered two shots each, downing them quickly before ordering something lighter.

"Ready to dance?" Nudge asked a half hour later, our stomachs heavy and heads light with the liquor. I nodded and we both got up and headed towards the crowd of sweaty bodies. A familiar song strummed through the speakers and I slowly swung my hips to the slow beat. Nudge was already lost in the mass; so once more I was left on my own. I closed my eyes and let the music take control of my body until I, myself, was lost in the rhythm.

A burning hot touch shook me out of my dance and my eyes flared open to see the face of a familiar friend. "Dylan!" I grinned and threw my arms around my friend who returned the hug tightly. "Fancy seeing you here." I had to yell over the loud music.

"Nudge gave a little heads up!" His eyes gave me a once over, lingering at the hem of my dress, "You look great by the way!"

I slapped him softly on the chest, "Eyes up here buddy," I pointed to my face. A blushed stained his face and he grinned at me cheekily.

"I'm sorry, but Nudge dresses you up in the most scandalous outfits!"

"Do you think it's too scandalous?" I pulled down the hem self-consciously.

Dylan laughed and grabbed my hands to prevent them from pulling the dress down any further. "No you look good Max, you really do." He placed my hands on his shoulders and moved his own to fit comfortably on my back, not too high and not too low. "Dance with me?" I giggled and nodded, letting the music take me away once more.

What felt like hours later I finally drifted from my musical rhythm, seeing that Dylan was still dancing with me with a sheen of sweat covering his forehead. "Dylan, I'll be right back!" He gave me a confused look. "Nature calls!" He laughed and pushed me gently towards where the bathroom were. It felt even more crowded when I made my way through the throng of people, like they were pressing against me. I hurriedly made it out and bolted towards the bathroom. I glanced at myself in the mirror, sighing in relief that my makeup was still perfect. I touched up my lips quickly and left the bathroom.

Before I could lose myself in the crowd once more I was suddenly pulled away to a quieter part of the club; the ground still alive with the pulsating music. Before I could even make a sound, a cool metal was pressed against my throat. "Do what I say or I'll kill you." My body was frozen with fear and it took all my strength for me to say one word.

"Okay."

"Good." The man's voice was hot on my cheek and reeking of alcohol. "Now you're going to leave the club with me and we're going to go on an adventure." He took the blade away from my throat as I nodded, wincing as he took my arm in a vice grip. I shakily started walking towards the exit, trying to meet someone's eyes to let them know I was in trouble. Where was Nudge? Where was Dylan? A hooded figure gained my attention for a split second. The flashing lights cast shadows on his face, lighting up his features for a second at time. He was watching me; I knew that much. 'Help me' I mouthed to him; but he turned away.

The knife guy hurried me out of the door and started pushing me down the street. A minute later he shoved me into an alleyway. Seriously, what was it with cities and scary alleyways? Before I could even scream he muffled me with his free hand and shoved the knife to my throat again. I closed my eyes; this was not how I expected to go down.

Suddenly, the man was ripped away from me and I sucked in a deep breath. My eyes flared open to find the man on the ground, with the hooded guy kicking the crap out of him. "Don't", kick, "you", kick, "ever", kick, "touch her", kick, "again". I winced at the last kick as I heard a rib crack. The hooded guy came over to me and grabbed my shoulders softly. "Did he hurt you?" I shook my head. He slipped his hand into mine and pulled me away from the alley into the open street. "Do you live nearby?" I shook my head again, wanting to pull my hands away from the electric feeling I felt while holding his hand.

"Thank you," I managed to say.

"Don't mention it," He flashed me a bright grin which caught me by surprise. "It's not every day I get to save a damsel in distress." I glowered at the damsel comment but brushed it off after a second, I couldn't get angry after someone who practically saved my life. He glanced back at me as we walked, hood falling off in the process. My jaw almost went slack as I took in the sight of him. He had deep brown eyes, so dark they were almost black. They stood out from his tanned olive skin, sporting high cheekbones and a proud nose. "So what's your name, Princess?"

"Max," I mumbled.

"Well Max, nice to meet you, my name is Fang. How about we rustle you something up to eat?" I looked at him for a moment, wondering if he was going to take me back to his place. "I mean McDonalds, you'll be safe there at least." It was like he read my mind.

"Yeah McDonalds is okay." A queasy feeling lay deep in my stomach. I matched my pace to meet his and squeezed his hand tightly, stepping closer towards him. It was a cold night out and I didn't have anything to keep me warm. As if knowing, Fang let go of my hand and pulled off his jacket and handed it to me. I shrugged it on while mumbling a thank you.

Fang took my hand once more and I relaxed against the warmth of his jacket. It was a quick walk to the fast food restaurant. There weren't many people in there when we entered and I checked my phone to see it was already three o'clock in the morning. I quickly sent Nudge a text telling her I went home early and that I'd see her when she gets back. Fang and I walked up to the register and placed our orders, but before I could get my wallet out to pay Fang had already handed over a twenty dollar bill.

"You didn't have to pay for me, Fang." His name easily rolled off my tongue.

"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to." He smiled at me again, once again shocking me at how handsome he was. "Something really bad could've happened to you so I just want you to relax, did you want to go home after we eat?"

"Yeah, home sounds good." The buzz I had gotten from the alcohol had already cleared from my head by the time we sat down with our food. "So what were you doing hanging around the club for dressed so…dark?" I motioned towards his dark clothing as I took a bite out of my cheeseburger.

"I'm just trying to look out for people, I guess." His eyes locked with mine before he glanced away, absently picking at his fries. "Did you go in with friends?"

"Yeah, my friend Nudge and I met up with another there, but that guy caught me as I was leaving the bathroom." I shuddered at the recent memory. Fang reached across and grabbed my hand, sending another jolt of electricity up my arm. At that moment tears threatened to fall from my eyes. "I'm sorry," I wiped underneath them so I wouldn't ruin my makeup. "I was just so scared."

He squeezed my hand, empathy flashing through his eyes. "At least you're safe now."

"Honestly, I don't know how I could ever thank you." I took another bite from my burger and chewed slowly.

"Well, I'd like to see you again after tonight." I met his soft gaze and shuddered inwardly; what a strangely intense guy. And he doesn't seem like a creep so I guess I owe him one for saving my life.

"I'm working a night-shift tomorrow night but I'm free on Sunday?" I offered. I typed my number into his phone and gave it back to him. "Give me a call and we can organize something."

"Awesome," He smiled again and we quickly finished up our meal. "My car is just around the block so I can give you a lift home," he said while we left the McDonalds. I nodded and let him grab my hand again, leading the way to his car.

The drive home was silent, not uncomfortable, but one that was relaxing; like being in company of a friend. He had punched the directions to Nudge and I's apartment so I didn't have to give directions. When we got there he parked the car in the driveway and got out of the car, walking around to the other side and opening my door for me. Without a word he walked with me to the front door. We stood there for what felt like a long time, trying to imprint each other's features in our minds.

"I'll give you a call some time tomorrow then."

"I'll be waiting," I went on my toes and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, "Thank you, again. I don't know where I'd be without you."

"The honor is all mine." He nodded his head before making his way back to the car and drove away.

Hazily, I dragged myself to my room, landing on my bed and falling into a deep slumber.

* * *

**A/N. Just quickly, the fact that Max is under the age of 21 and is allowed to work as a bartender is because I live in Australia and the drinking laws are 18+ and I needed younger-ish characters because I felt 21+ was too old; this is just to clear up some confusion that has already happened. Leave a comment if you enjoyed guys!**


	2. Chapter 2

_Max Ride is a tall and stunning bartender from Ohio. But one night her life is suddenly turned around when she meets Fang Nikolias. In time, Max begins to develop feelings for the mysterious man but she doesn't yet know he's hiding a terrible secret from her, one that could possibly end her life._

* * *

_There I stood. My heart in my hands and a hole in my gaping, bleeding chest. The blood ran freely past my ribs, down my scabby knees and to my bare feet. The blood pooled around me as I held my heart towards him; wanting him to take it. I held my breath as I watched him, waiting for his reply. My heart thumped weakly in my palms, slowly losing its life as I stayed alive; although feeling so numb inside._

_And yet; I smiled as he took out a gun, aimed and fired._

I woke with a start, head pounding and beads of sweat sliding down my forehead. I groaned, holding my head in my hands. "What a weird dream." After three painkillers and a half hour later, I was downstairs and brewing coffee. It was only eleven in the morning so I had another eight hours before work started; luckily Nudge had the day off. I pulled out my phone after a sip of coffee, seeing that Nudge had sent a text letting me know that she was spending the night with another guy. I involuntarily shivered at remembering the chaotic event that had happened last night; thinking of the person who saved my life.

Fang. The only thing I know about him is his name, I didn't even have his number.

The late morning sun filtered through the blinds, creating patterns on the wall of the kitchen. The light glittered off a kitchen knife and my breath stopped. My hand shook as my attention was drawn towards the knife. Is this going to be a fear that I have to face?

I took a step towards the where the knife sat on the bench, staring indirectly at the sun as the metal glared into my eyes. The coffee mug fell –as if in slow motion- and shattered on the floor. My eyes changed attention to my shaking hand; but did I truly feel scared? My body was reacting without my consent. I looked back at the wall; beginning to pulsate and spin as the world turned itself around me. No more than a minute later; I found myself falling towards the floor.

My phone rang.

Again.

And again.

And again.

I couldn't respond. I didn't know who was calling. I just lay there. The ceiling stared down at me. I started up at the ceiling. How much time has passed by already? My body felt heavy. And all I could do was continue staring. A deep breath. Inhale. Exhale.

Time passed and my phone continued to ring. Who was calling? Where was Nudge? My eyes started to become heavy and I panicked. Am I going to die? Just when my life was on the edge last night, will this time be the end? Okay Max, breathe. I close my eyes; at least I felt no pain.

My cheek was slapped hard and I was brought back into existence. I winced at the sting from the slap and from the new pounding sensation side of my head. The ceiling still stared down at me, yet another figure blocked part of it out.

"Hey, Max, wake up please." The figure shook my shoulders before pulling me into a sitting position. "Shit, there's too much blood. Max, I need you to wake up now. Like, right now." The voice sounded familiar. Another firm slap on the cheek made me want to yell 'I'm awake so stop freaking slapping me.' But I couldn't speak. I blinked until my vision was clear, in one eye at least.

It was him.

Fang.

I felt his hand press against my back as he held me up to face him. His other hand cupped my face and looked between my eyes. "Max, if you can understand me blink twice." I blinked once. Then I blinked again. I felt the tension escape from his arms once I blinked the second time. Had he truly been that worried? "Okay Princess, this may jostle you a bit but I need to get you to my car so I can take you to the hospital, alright?"

Had my fall really been that bad?

He gently placed me down and left for a moment and I struggled to keep my eyes open while he disappeared. He came back and placed something on the bench before leaning over my limp body again. "Alright, here we go." He slipped an arm under my knees and placed one on my back, lifting me slowly. The pounding in my head quickly intensified and a groan escaped my mouth. Fang looked down at me. Worry etched the lines of his face. He tried to make it to the while trying to move me as little as possible, but I felt every step. Pain screamed throughout my body.

Was there something else wrong with me?

I passed out as the car started moving; yet Fang quickly prodded me until I was awake once more. Why wasn't I allowed to sleep? I stared blankly as we passed buildings that were flying past. Fang pulled to a sudden halt a few minutes later, quickly running to my side and pulling me out. He placed a cloth like material on my head and sped towards what I assumed was the hospital. Everything became kind of blurry after that. I remember Fang talking to the doctors, yet not remembering what, a sharp stinging on my head and soon; nothing.

The beeping of an ECG machine aroused me from my slumber. Harsh hospital lights blared down at me. I took a look at my surroundings, noticing –of course- a dark figure slumped in a chair. My breath hitched; I knew who it was. The thundering pain that was once in my head was now a dull ache, allowing me to move myself into a sitting position. Fang heard the movement and his head snapped up; body tense and a strange alert look in his eyes.

"Sorry, I thought you were sleeping." My voice was dry from lack of liquid. He gave me a timid smile, reaching to the table beside my bed and handing me a small glass of water. I took a sip. Waited a minute before taking another one. The smell of anesthetics filled my nose and another shiver wracked my body.

"Are you cold?"? He asked, scooting closer with the chair.

I shook my head. "No, I'm not a big fan of hospitals really."

"Yeah, me neither." He scratched the back of his head.

I took another sip of water before handing it back to Fang who placed it on the table again. "Thank you, for bringing me here."

"That's alright, I'm just glad I came in time." He stared down at the floor and played with his thumbs. "You and all that blood, I just couldn't-" His shoulders hunched over and a shiver ran throughout his body.

"Was it really that bad?" He looked at me and looked back down again.

"It wasn't pretty. I had a feeling something was wrong but… I couldn't imagine what had happened until I saw you."

"How did you know? Was that you trying to call?"

"Yeah, after the first call I had a really bad feeling so I tried a few more times. I decided to run by your house to make sure you were there but your car and friend's car was still in the driveway. I tried knocking but no one answered so I got worried."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "So you broke into my house and found me half dead on the floor?"

A cheeky grin flittered across his face. "Sorry, but I had to play the hero someone, and your door wasn't exactly agreeing with me."

I giggled at the thought of an angry Fang glaring at the door. "Maybe I'll give you a key next time or leave the door unlocked. You know, for safety." Fang chuckled. It was a deep rumble coming from the depth of his chest; warm and soulful. "So when can I get out of here?"

"The doc said they can release you after a few tests once you woke up, I should go find one." He started getting up. "I took your phone in case someone tried to call you, it's just in the draw beside you."

"Thanks, Fang."

"No worries. Actually a few hours ago Nudge called to see where you were so I told her what had happened. She said that she'd cover your shift for tonight and that she'd see you when she finishes." He left the room and I reached into the drawer to grab my phone. It was a little past ten o'clock at night. Had I been here for almost twelve hours? I went through my missed calls; making sure that no one else had tried to message me. Everything else seemed to be untouched.

A few minutes later Fang walked back into the room, closely followed by a doctor. The doctor asked me to sit up and made me stare at his finger while he checked my eyes but, all I saw was Fang. Was he by my side the whole time? A complete stranger he had met the night before? The doctor pressed a bottle and piece of paper into my hands; instructing me to take a pill whenever the throbbing in my head became too unbearable. Thirteen stitches they gave me. Somehow I had managed to split it on my way down. What an unlucky number. It only took me a moment to realise that the blood would most likely still be there when I got home. Or had Nudge seen it and cleaned it up?

I lifted myself off the bed. And the world spun again as the blood rushed from my head. I pocketed my phone and held tightly onto the pills and prescription tight. Fang grabbed my elbow to keep me steady as I made my way out of the hospital; blindly navigating throughout its many hallways.

"Sorry, we're going to have to take a flight of stairs to get to my car," Fang grinned down at me, "They made me move it once they got you in a room and under sedation, I didn't really want to leave you but they gave me no choice." He looked bashfully down where his hand met my arm. Skin on skin; his warm touch had raised goose bumps around the area where his hand was.

"That's okay, I can handle a couple stairs." But I was already having trouble getting far on flat ground. By the time we reached the stairs to the level below, I found myself leaning against Fang for support; why had a single fall weakened me this much? "Hey Fang, were there any side effects for the pills?" He glanced at me with a concerned look; his frown deepening as I leant against the wall at the top of the stairs.

"Nausea, vomiting, all the normal stuff." He listed off the average side effects that people could suffer from strong painkillers. "I guess drowsy could be another one. You feeling tired, Max?"

I shook my head and gripped the railing of the stairs with my free hand. "I just feel kind of subpar, I guess." Fang immediately came to my side and snaked his arm around my waist to support me.

The ride home was quiet; my forehead pressed against the cool glass watching trees and houses fly past. The distinct sound of voices filled the car as the radio volume was turned up. A soothing, mellow song filled the car; and I closed my eyes.

"Max," Fang's breath brushed softly against my neck. "I can't let you sleep in my car, it's too cold for that." I yawned, looking up at Fang; a warm look in his eyes. I shook my head and closed my eyes again, leaning into the soft leather of the car. "Max, you need to get into your own bed." He picked me up slowly, making sure that I still had my pills in my hand and carried me into the –somehow unlocked- house. "Princess, I need to know where your room is." I raised a heavy hand and pointed towards the hallway where my bedroom was. And the moment my head touched the pillow, I was gone.

* * *

**Alright, leave a comment if you enjoyed guys! Constructive criticism is welcome! I didn't have a lot of time to edit this so it's kind of a raw chapter two but in time I will be coming back to fix errors. Thanks for the support already, it means a lot to me!**


	3. Chapter 3

_Max Ride is a tall and stunning bartender from Ohio. But one night her life is suddenly turned around when she meets Fang Nikolias. In time, Max begins to develop feelings for the mysterious man but she doesn't yet know he's hiding a terrible secret from her, one that could possibly end her life._

* * *

Fang sat down on his leather couch, dropping his head into his hands. She barely knew who he was; yet he knew everything about her. That night at the club, it wasn't by chance that he was there to save her. He was sent there. He was there to watch her, to take care of her. Max didn't know the truth about her father and her true heritage. A dull throb eased its way into his head; making itself comfortable just beyond his temple. He lifted the bottle of Jack Daniels to his lips, tipping his head back. The whiskey burned his throat as the liquid travelled to the pit of his stomach.

She was so beautiful. The pictures he'd seen couldn't begin to illustrate how gorgeous she was, like a princess. His lips formed into a grimace as he remembered the sudden nickname for her.

_I felt my hood slipping as I turned to look back at her and my breath was taken away once more. I don't think I'd ever get sick of a sight like that. After quickly mentally shaking the thought from my mind I continued the conversation. "So what's your name, Princess?"_

_"Max," she even sounded beautiful when she wasn't scared out of her wits._

Fang thought back to the man who had attacked Max, shifting through the stack of pictures on his coffee table. The man wasn't targeting Max in particular, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time; but Fang was grateful he was there to help her out. Suddenly, a flashback of Max from last night decided to rule his mind.

_It was either time decided to slow down or discontinue moving at all. In that moment, she was all I could see. I let myself trace my eyes across her features, getting lost in her chestnut brown eyes before finding myself staring at her lips. Beautiful. I don't want to hide in the shadows to protect her, I want to be by her side._

_"I'll give you a call some time tomorrow then," I found myself saying._

_"I'll be waiting," her lips pressed so softly against my cheek I had to stop myself from turning my head and kissing her._

He took another swig from the Jack Daniels before putting it back in the cupboard for the night. Yawning, he took off his shirt and threw it in the hamper as he walked into his room. As he lay on his bed and closed his eyes, the darkness became soothing and he welcomed the silence of slumber with Max on his mind.

* * *

"Max!" I was jostled awake with Nudge jumping on top of me. "You scared the crap out of me! I came home and there was a note on the bench saying that you were being taken to the hospital and to call your cell." I blinked at her. "And when this guy answered I completely freaked out and dropped my phone and look," she pulled out her phone and pointed towards a miniscule crack on the corner of the screen, "He made me drop it and completely ruin my phone! Who is he anyw-" I lifted a finger to her lips.

"Shh, Nudge; shh," Pushing her head away and rolling over. A dull throb sat in the temple of my head.

"Five more minutes." I closed my eyes and tried to block her out.

"Max! I let you sleep through the night now I deserve some answers." I cracked open my eyes and glared at her until she became a blur in my vision. I sighed.

"Fine, this is what happened." I explained the details to her, carefully leaving out the whole 'Max-about-to-get-shanked' part, and was left with silence by the end of it. She looked at me for a moment.

"So…is he hot?"

"Oh my god, Nudge!" I shrieked and threw a pillow at her face.

"No seriously, Max, I need to know the juicy details!"

"Okay, okay; Maybe a little," I could feel my cheeks turning red.

"Did you fuck him?"

"Ew! Nudge, no way!" I sat up and tried to push her off the bed with my other pillow while she beat furiously at me with the one I threw at her.

"So can I have him?" She wriggled her eyebrows at me and winked. A sudden feeling washed over me, one that I wasn't familiar with. Jealously?

"No, I have dibs on him," I caught myself saying. Before Nudge could say anything my phone started ringing. I caught Nudge's eye before she went and dived for my phone. "Nudge, oh god don't you dare answer that phone," I moaned as she pressed Answer, "Nuuuuuuuuudge."

"Hello?" She answered in a sultry voice. I almost face palmed before remembering it'd probably knock me out because of the head wound. She looked at me and grinned while she listened to the other end. "Oh she's here, but wouldn't you rather want to talk to me?" It went quiet again and I almost lost it when she handed me the phone while pouting. I raised an eyebrow as I took the phone from her. Another grin lit up her face and she shook her head before making her way out of my room. I lifted the phone to myself.

"What the hell did you say to her?" I started to interrogate him.

Fang's deep chuckled carried through the line. "I just told her that if she didn't hand the phone to you I wouldn't introduce her to my super attractive friend."

"Ah, and does this super attractive friend exist?"

"Of course he does, otherwise I wouldn't have said it."

"Ah, a man true to his word." A smile flittered across my face.

"That I am. How is your head feeling today?" I raised a hand to my head and prodded the stitches.

"Honestly, not that bad, and I feel much better than last night."

"That's good," I could almost see his smile on the other end, "Actually, Max?"

"Yeah?" My finger twitched in nervous anticipation.

"Don't take any more of the pills the doc gave you, I have a bad feeling that you were reacting to them weirdly."

I cocked my head to the side before remembering that he couldn't see me. "What do I take when it starts hurting then?" It went silent on the line for a moment.

"A few shots of whiskey should do the trick." A chortle of laughter left my lips and I heard Fang's chuckle on the other end. "Nah, generic painkillers should do the trick, at least it isn't a bullet wound." I froze.

"Why would it be a bullet wound?"

"Oh," Fang stuttered for a moment before finding himself. "My uncle got himself shot once and was complaining all the time until the thing healed up."

"That's horrible! How did that happen?"

"Hunting accident, his group ran into another part and they each thought the other were bears, now that would've been a sight to see." There was a pause. "Well, I'm way off topic here, there's an actual point to this call. I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me tonight? There's a carnival going on nearby and I thought it'd be fun…" He drifted off as he begun to ramble. "Actually, you can bring Nudge along and I can bring my friend, it'll be like a double date."

"Double date?" I mused.

Nudge's head poked around my door. "Did I hear double date?" Fang chuckled, obviously hearing Nudge.

"Yeah, Fang wants us to go on a double date with you and his friend tonight. At the carnival." I gave her a pointed look, "So no body-con dresses." She groaned and rolled her eyes but agreed anyway. Fang and I agreed for them to pick Nudge and I up at six o'clock. I glanced over at my clock. It was almost twelve already. "Alright, I guess I'll see you soon?"

"Of course, see you at six, Princess." The line went dead. The silence reminded me of the throb that sat in my temple. I groaned, rolling out of bed and heading towards the kitchen. The floor where the blood had once been was spotless now.

"Hey Nudge!" I called out, "Did you clean the kitchen at all?"

"Nope," she yelled from the other side of the apartment.

"Thank you, Fang," I muttered to myself. I went to the medicine cabinet and popped some painkillers into my hand, washing them down with a glass of water. I thought back to the night before when Fang first took me home. I couldn't deny how much I wanted to kiss him right then. I guess I could've blamed alcohol for the feeling, but I didn't even feel buzzed. Dragging myself back to my room, I opened my closet to choose what I was going to wear. I can put clothes together, but only if I see them on mannequins first. Nudge is my personal styler. As if hearing my thoughts, Nudge walked into my room. She had already changed from her slept in work clothes to a leather mid-thigh skater skirt with a bright pink oversized jumper tucked into it. She managed to look chic without even trying.

Without even asking, she walked to my wardrobe and pulled out a pair of dark blue faded jeans and a grey low cut tee shirt, throwing a darker grey jacket on top. She walked out again and came back in a few minutes later with nude flats in one hand, and some bracelets and a necklace in the other. She set them all on my bed and looked up at me with a grin. "I know I'm a genius."

"You definitely are Nudge, where would I be without you?"

"Oh, probably still dressing like your high school self."

'I didn't dress that bad did I?"

"Trust me, Max. You did," She grinned again and left me to get ready. I shut the door behind her and walked into my ensuite to hit the shower. Half an hour later, with my head wrapped in a towel, I began pulling on the jeans and top. Afterwards I ran a brush through my wet hair, rifling it with my fingertips afterwards. Nudge knocked on my door and walked in without waiting for a reply. "All ready to get made up?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." I was already feeling nervous and there was still a few more hours to go. Nudge took her time applying my makeup, making sure that it wasn't too heavy for a carnival. In the end she ended up giving me a cat eye flick with the eyeliner, coated my eyes with mascara and put highlighter on my cheekbones. I had to admit, I looked good. When she had finished I applied a touch of pink lip gloss to finish the look. By that time my hair had dried into nice waves that gave it that 'casual' finish.

"I make such a masterpiece out of you, every time." She sighed happily as she looked at her complete work.

"Well you've had enough practice on me as is." I grinned and hugged her tightly, "Thanks again, Nudge."

"Any time." I left her to start her own make up. My stomach growled. I checked my phone and it was already half past one. The fridge began to call for me. "I wonder if there's any food in the fridge." When I made it to the kitchen and opened the fridge, the cool air washed over me, calming the nerves that I hadn't noticed before. Why am I getting so worked up, it's just Fang.

But that was it, he was someone I barely knew, and this will be the third time seeing him in three consecutive days in a row. To which the first two times were unplanned. Maybe the feeling will be less intense with his friend there. And it will definitely be nice having Nudge around; but knowing her she'll probably ditch me if Fang's friend is actually attractive.

I sighed as I grabbed a three minute meal and popped it in the microwave. My headache was gone by now. I lifted my hand to the stiches. Nudge had done a great job at covering them up. Her ingenious idea to put a clear band-aid over it and putting makeup on top of it had work, plus my hair covered a lot of it. The microwave beeped at the same moment my phone did. I pulled it out to check the text I received.

**I know where you live.**

I checked to make sure it wasn't Fang who had texted me, but it wasn't. I quickly sent a reply back asking who it was.

**I am your worst nightmare.**

My heart beat sped up; this week just continues to grow more interesting.

* * *

**This is another raw chapter. It's been a bit rushed through because I haven't posted anything in ages. I plan to write a little every day so I'm not as lazy and just leave the story sitting there unfinished. Comments and feedback are welcome! Thank you guys!**


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